HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The men's soccer team has received an at-large bid to participate in the 2016 NCCAA Division I National Tournament.

The men's team is the No. 5 seed in the tournament that begins November 28 and goes through December 3 in Kissimmee, Fla. The Highlanders open the tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 3:30 p.m. when they take on No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist University. The second round of pool play features a match against No. 2 Bethel (Ind.) College on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m.

Last week the Highlanders lost a hard fought 2-1 match against Grace College in the NCCAA Midwest Region semifinals.

Head Coach Matthew Webb offered some insight about the upcoming tournament...

What are your thoughts on getting an at-large bid and how do you feel about your seeding for Nationals?
I think we are right about where we belong in the seeding. We have had a good season, and the cumulative work we have put in this year has resulted in us being in a position to be offered an at-large bid.

Who are the teams you will play and who will be good competition?
We are in a pool with Bethel and Oklahoma Baptist. Both teams will be very strong. In fact, the entire field is probably stronger than it has been in recent years. Campbellsville is ranked #6 in the country in NAIA, and will be at our tournament. Bethel was one game away from making the NAIA national tournament. Southwestern Christian will be very strong. Southern Wesleyan comes in as the #9 seed – but they are the returning National Champions from last year. It will be a very good tournament.

Your thoughts on how your team is playing heading into this tournament?
We have had a tough stretch here at the end of our season with a very disappointing loss in the E8 championship. It has been a challenge to rebound from that. We have also had a few significant injuries here at the end of the season. But – our mentality is that we have been given another opportunity to play in a very good tournament, and we are looking forward to it. We believe we belong there and are looking forward to representing Houghton at the national tournament.

More information can be found on the tournament web page.

The contests will be streamed with live video for those who wish to follow along from home. Fans can purchase individual games or buy a pass for the entire tournament.